Week 7 Response

This week, I had the pleasure of revisiting Sol Lewitt's seminal work, "Sentences on Conceptual Art." Having already delved into this insightful piece on a prior occasion, I was once again struck by Lewitt's intention to convey conceptual art ideas and concepts through the written word, providing artists and audiences alike with a glimpse into the boundless possibilities inherent in such creations. Rather than focusing solely on comprehension, Lewitt prioritizes perceptions (LeWitt, 1999). This approach serves as a catalyst for all artists, including those still in art schools, enabling them to explore the realms of their creativity without the need to explicate their ideas or thoughts through their artwork. Instead, it encourages them to adopt a lens through which to view the world or contemplate the artist's perspective.

Upon rereading sentence 13, which asserts that "A work of art may be understood as a conductor from the artist's mind to the viewer's. But it may never reach the viewer, or it may never leave the artist's mind" (LeWitt, 1999), I found myself reflecting on my artistic journey during my time at art school. I encountered difficulties in effectively transmitting my ideas and thoughts to my peers and the visitors of my third-year show gallery. As I progressed in creating my artwork, I adhered strictly to the principle of producing "non-literal" art, as the curriculum often emphasized the importance of contemporary concepts. I questioned whether my art was excessively abstract, concerned about how it would be received by the audience.

Drawing a parallel between these contemplations and Lewitt's sentence 24, which declares that "Perception is subjective" (LeWitt, 1999), I wish I could have imparted a valuable insight to my past self: interpretations are as subjective as perceptions, with each viewer already carrying their individual perspective prior to engaging with my work. During my explorations during my third year, where I investigated the interplay between artistic practice and the influence of ideas surrounding originality, the use of references, and the practice of translation, one of my fellow students caught my attention. She created a diptych inspired by "Sentences on Conceptual Art" by Sol Lewitt, painting and translating the piece into Chinese characters (35 Sentences on Conceptual Art in Chinese, Yung 2020). This experience deepened my contemplation of conceptual art, revealing its inherently abstract nature akin to language translations. When we create artwork across various mediums, we are tasked with transitioning our ideas into tangible forms, yet the full realization of these ideas remains elusive until the work is complete (LeWitt, 1999).

For me, contemporary art is more than an evaluation of the successions in transition but more importantly what kind of diverse perceptions are arisen to the audience; and what interpretations can the audiences perceive.

Reference:

Alberro, A., & Stimson, B. (Eds.). (1999). Conceptual art : a critical anthology. MIT Press.

Yung, M. (2020). 35 sentences on conceptual art in Chinese, Diptych, 2022: Visual art. Minnie Yung. https://www.minnieyung.com/works?pgid=lbh96xv3-946e33e4-5b31-4d1c-b910-265ac1e2db41